Le Band Extraordinaire // The Freebutt

The Freebutt only allow their customers to drink from plastic glasses. This may be because it’s the kind of venue which gives you very little to concentrate on but the act, so if you’re not up to the scrutiny then you should probably stick to busking – if they don’t permit glass, it’s probably because people have been prone to throwing it in the past?

Supporting the Icy Demons, Le Band Extraordinaire proved to be well worth the scrutiny that their choice of venue put them under. Comprising of 5 members, each adept at producing some lovely noise from a range of instruments, they somehow manage to stuff them all into each song. Pouncing on a wide range of musical genres and effortlessly blending them together, you never quite knew where they were going to go next. Some hefty guitar action might start the proceedings, but could quickly transform into a saxophone solo or the almost eerie sound of the band in chorus.

Frontman Jez has a voice which was reminiscent of the big band age, when men weren’t confined to stepping up to the microphone and simply howling down it for an entire set. They coated their vocals with cream back then, and Jez did something similar. He also seems fond of frequent pauses for hand claps, always a winner in my book. However, Esther on clarinet and backing vocals gave me the impression that she could easily manage a solo piece, it would have been intriguing to see what she could do with a voice that I suspect might be just as original.

The set was a standard 6 songs; Ill At Ease was a good example of Le Band’s ability to capture a particular style, and give it a modern twist, Rubber Ball couldn’t possibly be more aptly titled, being as it will bounce around in your head for days to follow, making it the obvious choice to close with. Their chipper attitude and pleasing prowess meant that Le Band managed to bring the audience out of themselves, never easy on a Monday night when they are only a couple of drinks in and nobody wants to be the first one to put down their coat and start dancing.

Le Band Extraordinaire are currently on the hunt for management, I suggest anybody with the power to do so should snap them up. The rest of us can catch the next showing at The Fiddler’s Elbow on 4th June.

http://www.lebandextraordinaire.com/